The social and economic ramblings of Kevin and Alan

["Kevin O'Neal" <kevinandt@surfglobal.net>]

>From: Alan McKendree <amck@thenetdr.com>
>
>They provided a hell of a lot of benefit to me, when I arrived in a
>strange city with no ticket and ended up seeing the show from the
>10th row or so.

Hmmm. Ok....there is a service there.
<damn!>
That service, I can see.  But what is the service of purchasing, and then
re-selling the very next day?
I'd be very curious to hear definitively how these brokers get their hands
on the good seats.

>A shortage does not mean that the price level of bread is
>higher than you might like it to be,

I didn't say that.  It's the few bastards that purchased a bunch of bread
and raised the price (price gouge) that caused the bread price to be higher
than some could afford.  Some, who now may starve (in my little fantasy
example).

 >it means that there is no bread

No, it means there is significantly less supply then normal.

>How did that shortage occur?

Heh-heh.  Starting to like my little example, aren't you?
Ok, let's say Klingons came down and torched the world's supply of grain.
:-)
(hmmmm, spell check for Klingons is Clintons.....hmmmmm)

>And the  Bread Board

Is that like the Bread cutting Board ?

>>I guess (no, I know) I am more of a socialist.
>Funny, and New England having that reputation for individualism,
>freedom and all that.

Having an intense desire to defend Freedom and also individualism (which I
have) does not mean that you want that just for those who can afford it.
Does not mean that it should exist for only those that happen to be lucky
enough to be born into a family that is wealthy.  There is a portion of
society, in every society, that will be the "have not's".
Those are the ones that are collecting your garbage.  Sweeping the streets.
Let me be clear...I am a firm Durkheimian.  All parts of society are
important to the overall function of said society.
Some individual sacrifices must be made by the "haves" in order to allow the
*needed* "have not's" to maintain a level of living that allows them to surv
ive.  This is called the "fundamental solidarity".  It is not an
intellectual agreement, but a shared emotional feeling..a sense of belonging
to a community with others and hence feeling a moral obligation to live up
to the demands.  Brokers seem to be missing this moral obligation.
Freedom and individuality co-exist with "Collective conscience"....a
cornerstone thinking to sociology.

>Capitalism is what it is, you either have it or you don't.

No, Capitalism has some limits.  Granted those limits are imposed by the
smart people who truly understand that society can not function for long
when the bottom layers of a society are ignored.

Look at healthcare for a moment.  A true capitalist endeavor.  The result???
45 *million* people who are uninsured.  Why? Because they can't flippin'
afford it, or they are forced to work for companies that can't afford it.
Ranking the US, the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world, as
the 37th...again....THIRTY SEVENTH.... in the world in coverage and
effective healthcare delivery.  Behind countries like Uganda, South Africa,
Argentina.
*That*, to me is shameful.
And, don't look now, but responsible capitalism will be instilled into
healthcare soon.
It has to.
Capitalism with limits.
It's either that, or straight socialism.
And yes, it will be forced by those caring folk,......who happen to also be
called politicians.

>>Like in my splendid and realistic ;-) bread analogy.
>Which I trust you are rethinking :-).

Really don't see the need.  Plus, we've ventured pretty far off topic here.
Is there any Who in sight? :-)

>Public interests must be protected.  There is also a thinking called
fairness.

>Once property rights are established, so is the right to ask any price one
chooses
>for one's property.

It's the definition of property that is at question here.
I can't sell The Who's albums.  They're not mine.
So you're advocating the concept that the moment I purchase a ticket to see
The Who, It becomes my property and I can do with it as I choose.
Why then do many states outlaw scalping?
Isn't what a broker does simple scalping?  Why is scalping so baaaaad that
it is outlawed?
It's because it is the re-sale of another's property for potentially a
profit that doesn't belong to you.
This now gets into the debate from last tour about what your rights are
while in that seat.
Is it *your* seat?
Pretty sure we established that you are simply leasing it, but that the
venue could toss a person out of that leased seat at any time.  Thus, it is
not anyone's property except the venue's.

>It should go without saying that one may or may
>not find a buyer at that price, but this point is constantly
>overlooked in the last week's anti-scalping fulminations.

Yep, they're taking a risk.  But, it's pretty small when you consider that
the broker is pretty much guaranteed at selling that ticket (which will be
good) for at least cost.

>I can't even find her nipples, much less which way they're pointing.
>Maybe they changed the picture or something.

Made ya look!!!!!!
I had to look real closely.  I didn't see nipples at first glance, and then
became interested, wondering why they would be air-brushed away like they do
in Victoria Secret catalogs (I'm really exposing myself here, aren't I).
But, look closely again.  They are on the top of the breast (as apposed to
in the center) pointing straight up.  Bad boob job.

Kevin in VT
(my head hurts)